Strand treating machine



Jan. 1, 1957 H. G. sAss STRAND TREATING MACHINE Filed Feb. 1, 1955 FIG-5ill! United States Patent STRAND TREATING MACHINE Hans G. Sass, Krefeld,Germany, assignor to Job. Kleinewefers Siihne, Krefeld, GermanyApplication February 1, 1955, Serial No. 485,527

7 Claims. (Cl. 203-400) The present invention relates to strand treatingmachines and, more particularly, concerns a drive shaft comprising aplurality of elastic members for strand treating machines of the textileindustry, especially strand washing machines.

Such devices are necessary in order to make it possible in spite of theshrinkage or stretching of the strand due to the treatment thereof, topass such strand through the machine at a low tension, particularlywithout undue high tension of the strand, so as to obtain a good washingeffect. Moreover, it is necessary throughout the path of the strandthrough the machine to maintain a certain necessary tension in order toobtain a proper running of the strand through the machine.

Washing machines of the abovetype are known, in

which the individual members are provided with inclined running surfacesfor the strand in an eifort to cause the strand to be driven on therespective circumference of said member, which is necessary for meetingthe above outlined conditions.

Also strand washing machines are'known in which the drive shafts arecomposed of individual members having elastic parts such as rubber rods.

It is anobject of the present invention to provide an improved drivingshaft for strand treating machines which comprises a plurality ofindividual members, which will particularly easily and effectively adaptthemselves to the prevailing conditions inthe strand so as romaintain aslow a tension of the strand as possible while securing a proper runningof the latter through the machine.

t is another object of this invention to provide an elastic drive shaftfor strand treating machines, which comprises a plurality of elasticmembers each of which is rather simple and relatively inexpensive andhighly reliable in operation. i

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear moreclearly from the following specification in connection with theaccompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 represents a diagrammatic section through a strand washingmachine provided with an elastic drive shaft according to the invention.

Fig. 2 shows a diagrammatic transverse section through the arrangementof Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section through an individual member of a drive shaftaccording to the invention, the elastic means of said individual memberoccupying a first position.

Fig. 4 is a section similar to that of Fig. 3 through an individualmember, with the elastic means thereof occupying a second position.

Fig. 5 is a top View of Fig. 3 seen in the direction of the arrow A.

The primary feature of an elastic drive shaft according to the presentinvention consists primarily in that the drive shaft comprisesindividual members which by means of spring elements or resilient barspertaining to adjacent individual members are arranged and cooperatewith each other in such a manner that they form with each other sheavesor cord pulleys adapted to vary the inner diameter of the groove thereofin conformity with the pulling force acting upon the strand beingtreated.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, the strand 2 enters the machinethrough two squeezer rollers 5, 6 and passes over a tension roller 7 tothe elastic drive shaft generally designated 1 which comprises aplurality of elastic individual shaft members 1a, 1b 111. After thestrand has passed from the tension roller 7 over the individual memberla, the strand passes into the washing medium 4 and over a non-elasticcounter shaft 3 to the second individual member 1b etc. alternately overthe individual members and the counter shaft 3 up to the last individualmember In. After having passed over said last individual member, thestrand leaves this assembly and passes to a second elastic drive shaft 8which similar to the drive shaft generally designated 1 comprises nindividual members. The strand then passes over a counter shaft 9 andalternately back to the elastic shaft 8 and counter shaft 9 until itfinally passes over tension roller 10 to the delivery squeezing rollers11 and 12.

In this particular arrangement which has been shown by way of exampleonly, the intake and delivery squeezing rollers 5, 6 and 11, 12respectively and also the elastic shafts 1 and 8 are driven. One or twotension rollers 7 and 10 may be employed for controlling the drivenrollers as is known per se in connection with control arrangements fortensioning rollers.

As will be particularly evident from Figs. 3 and 4, the individualmembers of the shaft 1 are substantially composed of supporting discs 14fixedly connected in spaced relationship to each other to the driveshaft 13. Connected to the peripheral portion of the discs or wheels 14in any convenient manner, forinstance by riveting, welding, or screwing,are elastic laminated spring members or bars 15 of appropriate materialas for instance stainless spring steel. These spring members which mayhave any desired profile are substantially evenly distributed over thecircumference of the discs or wheels 14 as is shown for instance in Fig.5. As will also be evident from Figs. 3 and 4, the spring members 15 andthe discs 14 are so arranged that they form a groove-like path for thestrand to be treated. The bending characteristic of the spring membersor bars 15 may according to the invention be determined bycorrespondingly shaped members 16 carried by the periphery of the discsor Wheels 14. It will be evident that the shape and material of saidmembers 16 will determine the control of the spring members 15.

According to a further development of the invention, each pair of discsor wheels 14 has interposed therebetween a disc-like member 17 whichlimits the extent to which the spring members or bars 15 may bendthrough as is clearly indicated in Fig. 4. These abutment members 17 maybe provided with a hub serving as spacer between the wheels or discs 14.It will be clear that by means of the disc-like abutment member 17damage to the elastic bars 15 will be avoided which otherwise mightoccur particularly when starting or setting the machine.

If desired, the elastic individual members 1a In of the drive shaft mayalso be designed with a few, for instance 6, spring members or barsonly, in which instance an elastic shaft member is obtained with areel-like effect which member will impart upon the strand an oscillatingmovement favorable to the washing action.

The function of an elastic drive shaft according to the invention willbest be understood from Figs. 3 to 5.

The manner in which the strand is passed through the washing machine andruns over the elastic drive shaft 1 has been generally outlined above.The circumferential speed of the drive shaft 1 with regard to theelastic spring members when the latter are in their non-bent or restposition, is somewhat higher than the circumferential speed of thefeeding squeezer rollers 5, 6. Consequently, when the strand passesthrough the machine, a certain bending through of the spring members 15must automatically occur as a result of the temporarily occurringincreased tension of the strand due to the initial differences in speed.If the strand during the treatment does not change its length, thebending of the spring members 15 at the circumference of the individualmembers 1a 111 will be the same, the resulting force of all bent throughspring members at the circumference of an individual member will betwice the pulling force in the strand. The differences in speed betweenthe delivery squeezer rollers 5, 6 and the elastic drive shaft 1 inunloaded condition is decisive for the tension in the strand at thefirst member of the elastic drive shaft.

When the strand shrinks during the treatment, the individual members 111111 of the drive shaft 1 will bend further according to the change inthe length of the strand whereby the diameter of the sheaves or pulleyrolls formed by the individual members 1a 111 will be reduced. As aresult thereof, the circumferential velocity of said sheaves or pulleyrolls will be adapted to the speed of the strand which has been changeddue to the shrinkage. Aside from the continually but only slightlyincreasing tension of the strand due to the continually increasedbending through of the spring elements of the individual members 1b 1n,the strand will be nowhere unduly stressed.

If, on the other hand, the strand stretches during the process, thereverse procedure will occur and thus a slight decrease in the tensionof the strand will occur. However, by correspondingly dimensioning orcontrolling the tension of the strand at the first elastic individualmember 1a, the necessary tension for a proper running of the strand canbe maintained at any point.

The design of the elastic shaft in conformity with the presentinvention, especially the elastic spring elements or bars of theindividual members 1a 111, the variation of the characteristic of thebendability of the spring elements by the members 16, and the increasedsafety by the abutment members 17 limiting the maximum bending of thespring elements, a highly improved elastic shaft for strand treatingmachines is obtained which greatly improves the operation of suchmachines.

What I claim is:

1. In combination with a drive shaft for strand treating machines: aplurality of rotatable members supported by and connected to said shaftin spaced relationship to each other, and a plurality of sets ofresilient bar-like members having one end thereof connected to andsupported by said rotatable members so that the bar-like members of eachtwo adjacent sets of each two adjacent rotatable members are inclined inopposite direction and are located in intersecting planes with thepoints of intersection located substantially on a circle having adiameter less than the diameter of said rotatable members therebycausing the resilient members between each two adjacent rotatablemembers to define with each other a yieldable groove-like path for thestrand to be treated.

2. In combination with a drive shaft for strand treating machines: aplurality of rotatable members supported by and connected to said shaftin spaced relationship to each other, a plurality of sets of resilientbar-like members respectively connected to said rotatable members, theresilient members of each two adjacent sets being inclined in oppositedirection and respectively having their free ends extending into thespace between each two respective adjacent rotatable members so as tocross each other to thereby define with each other a yieldablegroovelike path for the strand to be treated, and a plurality ofreinforcing members interposed between said rotatable members and therespective resilient members pertaining thereto for controlling thebending of said resilient members, said reinforcing members beingshorter than said resilient members.

3. In combination with a drive shaft for strand treating machines: aplurality of rotatable members sup ported by and connected to said shaftin spaced relationship to each other, a plurality of sets of resilientbar-like members respectively connected to said rotatable members, theresilient members of each two adjacent sets being inclined in oppositedirection and having their respective free ends extending into the spacebetween each two respective adjacent rotatable members so that the freeends of the resilient members of each two adjacent rotatable memberscross each other at a certain angle to thereby define with each other ayieldable groove-like path for the strand to be treated, and disc-likeabutment members interposed between each two adjacent rotatable membersand arranged for abutment with the adjacent resilient members crossingeach other to thereby limit the extent to which said respectiveresilient members crossing each other may bend through.

4. A drive shaft according to claim 3, in which said disc-like abutmentmembers are provided with hubs serving as spacers between two adjacentrotatable members.

5. In combination with a drive shaft for strand treating machines: aplurality of wheel-like members arranged in spaced relationship to eachother and connected to said shaft, the circumferential portions of saidwheel-like members having a contour tapering in radial directionthereof, a plurality of resilient bar-like members substantially evenlydistributed over the circumference of said wheel-like members andextending from said tapered circumferential portions along the taperthereof to opposite sides of said wheel-like members, said resilientbarlike members respectively having one end thereof connected to theperipheral tapered portions of said wheellike members and having theirother end extending be tween said wheel-like members and crossing withthe bar-like members of the respective adjacent wheel-like member, thearrangment being such that the resilient barlike members crossing eachother define with each other a groove-like circular path for the strandto be treated.

6. In combination with a drive shaft for strand treating machines: aplurality of wheel-like spaced supporting members supported by andconnected to said shaft for rotation therewith, and a plurality of setsof resilient barlike members, said sets being respectively carried bysaid wheel-like supporting members, said resilient bar-like membershaving one end thereof connected to said wheellike supporting membersalong an incline so that the free ends of each two adjacent sets of saidresilient barlike members cross each other, the resilient bar-likemembers on each of said rotatable wheel-like supporting members beingrelatively widely spaced from each other along the circumference of saidwheel-like supporting members and extending into the space between therespective adjacent supporting members.

7. A drive shaft according to claim 6, in which at least some of saidwheel-like supporting members carry two sets of resilient bar-likemembers extending from the peripheral portions of said wheel-likesupporting members to both sides thereof.

No references cited.

